


You've Got A Friend In Me

by KarmicRetribution



Category: Undertale
Genre: GO READ IT, Gen, I am not going to list them all right now, I want to see my skeleboys in this scenario, If it is, Inspired By, Introductory stuff, My AU, Papyrus is troubled, The title literally makes me think of the song, brief hiatus, brief hiatus is over, he needs a friend, hopefully it is not stuck in yours, it is stuck in my head, it's a great fic, later chapters include all the skelebois, sorry - Freeform, super indulgent, the skeleton squatters and the Landlady, which hopefully the Landlady will be, which is why I made it the title
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-01-05 20:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12196527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarmicRetribution/pseuds/KarmicRetribution
Summary: Trapped in a timeline not his own, trying to make do, Papyrus meets a possible new friend, in the form of the Landlady.





	1. Papyrus Makes A Friend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tyrant-Tortoise](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Tyrant-Tortoise).
  * Inspired by [Skeleton Squatters and the Landlady](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9816140) by [Tyrant_Tortoise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyrant_Tortoise/pseuds/Tyrant_Tortoise). 



> This is for Tyrant-Tortoise, of the fic 'The Skeletons Squatters and the Landlady', which is great. Like, I literally cannot say enough to get you guys to at least check it out. It is well worth your time.
> 
> I tried emulating Tyrant's writing style, but I probably failed. Miserably. So if you don't like this, do not take it as a basis for her writing.
> 
> While I tried to make this understandable on its own, you guys should probably read the fic this is inspired by to get the full story.
> 
> The dash marks indicate when the perspective changes.

Papyrus knew he made the others nervous. He was a Papyrus, but not Papyrus enough. And it wasn't like his universe was swapped, like Stretch and Blueberry's. He knew that because Alphys was the Royal Scientist and Undyne was Captain of the Royal Guard.

He looked almost exactly like the Papyrus of this timeline. They both wore the same battle body, and were about the same height (he never really bothered to check before he left). They both believed that anyone could be a good person if they just tried. They both had trouble controlling their volume, or their excitement and feelings. They both had trouble grasping appropriateness in social situations. They would be indistinguishable from each other, except for a few minor differences. And that's what unsettled the others. Instead of the delta rune, he wore the flowery symbol of the Protectors. He wasn't besties with Undyne. He was also semi decent at cooking, thanks to Kindness. And he knew too much.

It… hurt, that they expected his brother to help them. That they never even thought to ask him. Not that he would have helped at first, he had been so so _angry_. His constantly loud voice had been raised even louder at them. But later, after he calmed down, they still wouldn't ask him. Sans was the one who knew about SOULs, of course because he studied that subject. Papyrus was always the engineer and knew more quantum mechanics. Sans had a decent grasp on it, and would place joke books inside of his quantum mechanic books that he left on the table, resulting in one of many small brotherly feuds. It, along with most of their stuff, was still in their home in Snowden. Papyrus could help. And maybe if he had helped, he would be home already.

 

An alarm clock goes off, and Papyrus wakes up, not that he needs it. Turning it off, he gets ready for the day. Instead of his battle body, as would be usual for his morning routine, he wears a simple outfit. A t-shirt and some loose shorts. They feel close enough to his battle body that they don't make him feel uncomfortable, nor do they itch. They were a compromise from Sans to wear clothe, that would distinguish him. He was very reluctant. The t-shirt has some clever pun on it, as it was picked out by Sans, since all their clothes were left at home. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Papyrus heads out into the kitchen to make breakfast. He knocks on Sans's door on the way past, to let him know to get up.

The cabin they share is a lot smaller than what they're used to, and the kitchen is woefully under-furnished. But they have to make do. The curtains firmly drawn over the windows, Papyrus gets started on some oatmeal. Sunlight this early in the morning is uncomfortable, and disrupts his routine. Soon, the scent draws Sans from his room, dressed casually as well. His helmet and chest plate are probably still in the closet from when they first arrived, collecting dust.

Breakfast is a quiet affair. Neither of them have much to say. The things they would usually talk about no longer apply. Eventually, Sans says around a mouthful of oatmeal, "don't forget to water the plants."

"DON'T TALK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL! AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS YOUR JOB?"

"nah, i'm going to the store today."

Papyrus' grip on his spoon tightens almost imperceptibly. "ISN'T TODAY MY DAY?"

Sans notices. "paps, you can't avoid the garden forever. while we're up here for who knows how long, you have to move out of your comfort zone."

Papyrus looks down at his oatmeal, then back up at Sans, a smile on his face. "OK SANS."

Sans sighs, but doesn't press it. "thanks paps. for breakfast too. it was great, as always. i'll be off now." Sans gets up and puts his dish in the sink, and without saying another word, heads out.

He probably took a short cut as soon as he got outside. They didn't own a vehicle, since they tried to minimize how much they spent and how much evidence they would leave behind when they eventually get home. If they get home. Papyrus's smile wavers, and then drops. He doesn't bother to finish his oatmeal, putting it in a container for later and putting the dishes in the sink. Waste not, want not.

Grabbing the tools he needs, Papyrus heads outside. As soon as he's in the fresh air and sunlight, he unconsciously tenses. It's too big, and too bright. Even the store was better than this, with the press of people making it seem less big than it was. Not that anyone really ever pressed against him, he was a Monster after all. A novelty, and a little bit daunting.

Not for the first time, he wishes Bravery was here. She would help him adjust, and then he wouldn't feel so guilty about finally being on the Surface while she was still stuck Underground, probably worried sick about them, wondering where they are. If he knows her, he knows how stubborn she can be. And most things don't deter her. She might even enlist the help of the Captain of the Royal Guard, even at the risk of exposure.

Maybe she thinks they dusted?

Maybe she fell down-

Papyrus quickly shakes those thoughts from his head. He was the Great Papyrus! He cannot lose hope that he will see her again. His SOUL aches for the feel of her SOUL, the quiet bond they shared on patrols together. There is no need for patrols here.

No time to dilly-dally. Activity is the best deterrence of unwanted thoughts. Papyrus gets down to watering the plants and weeding them. He's pretty sure he's pulling up plants along with weeds, but it's not like the garden is flourishing otherwise. If Sans wanted his garden to flourish, he should do it himself. He made the garden after all. It was a rather sad endeavor, a small way to become independent. It was bad. So Sans bought vegetables and herbs from the store. Papyrus didn't like working on it, it made him spend too much time outside.

Maybe there was something wrong with him. Of the other Papyrus's, he seemed to be the only one that genuinely did not like being on the Surface. Even Crooks liked being up here.

The sound of voices draw his attention. He looks up, and hears what appears to be a feminine voice, and Blackberry.

Papyrus knows of Axe's indiscretions, bringing home females sometimes several times a week, but he didn't pin Blackberry for someone interested in that sort of thing. Curiously, he makes his way closer to the path leading away from the SwapFell's house.

Making her way back alone, is a woman. Well, of course she's a woman, but she's human too. Axe didn't mind human women, but Blackberry always seemed to be going on and on about his feats of capturing humans, to the point even Papyrus and his brother could hear it from where they were. What surprises him more is that instead of turning off the path onto the road, she continues heading deeper into the woods. Oh dear, she's going the wrong way. And by the way Edge boasted about his traps designed to confuse humans, if she gets lost she might not find her way out. Hopefully she's not as adverse to help as Blackberry is.

With that course of action decided, he tumbles down the hill. Not literally, he takes long strides gracefully down the hill. He just went down faster than he intended. So Papyrus stumbles a few feet in front of the human, managing to catch himself, but startling the human. Seeing that his abrupt entrance startled her, he says quickly, "DO NOT FEAR! IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" There, since he said do not fear, she will no longer be frightened, and with him having introduced himself, they are no longer strangers. Papyrus knows the logic is a bit stretched, but he ignores that.

The human looks at him in confusion, though thankfully no longer seems scared. "Papyrus? What are you doing out here? Why aren't you in your battle body?"

How would she know about his battle body? Why is she acting like she knows hi- Oh.

Just as Papyrus comes to his conclusion, she comes to one as well. "Oh! Are you from another timeline?"

For a second, those words don't sink in. When they do, he feels a flash of rage. Those hypocrites! How dare they?! They force everyone else to secrecy, and then let this woman know everything? And they treat him like a freak for telling-

As soon as it happens though, he feels bad for thinking unkindly of those in the lodge. He thought he was over this. Bravery wouldn't like him to be angry. Well, not exactly true. He probably would have had to restrain her himself if she thought they were being mean to him. The thought almost makes him chuckle, but he remembers the human in front of him.

\-----------

This skeleton who was another version of Papyrus froze when you asked him if he from another timeline. Were you not supposed to ask that? Was it rude to ask it of someone who doesn't know you? Before you can make sure if he's ok, he springs back into action.

"UM, YES. MAY I ASK WHO ARE YOU?" There's something in his voice that's a bit strange, but you brush it off.

"I'm Y/N," you say, doing a little half wave awkwardly, and are surprised when he takes your hand in a hand shake. He seems careful not squeeze your hand too hard. Despite the warm weather, he's wearing gloves. He drops your hand after a few seconds of shaking your arm and steps back.

"MAY I ASK WHY YOU ARE OUT HERE IN THE WOODS?" He asks with over the top politeness.

"Blackberry just wanted my help for something. Or my company, not that he would admit that. He sent Mutt to come get me, so I didn't really have much of a choice. I don't have to help him, since I'm not his Landlady."

He cants his head in obvious confusion. It's an endearingly Papyrus move. He seems even more like Papyrus than Crooks, except for his formalness. It helps that he looks more like him.

"Some of the skeleton brothers are staying in my lodge. In exchange for staying there, I'm their Landlady."

This Papyrus nods his head in understanding, then looks aghast. Speaking of, you can't keep referring to him in your head as 'This Papyrus'. Before you can say anything else, he blurts out, "I AM SO SORRY! ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE PAYING YOU?!" He pats himself down, and rushes away, shouting back to you, "DO NOT MOVE!"

You feel a bit ridiculous standing there alone in the middle of the woods. Maybe this Papyrus was one of the bad ones. He seemed nice enough, why else wouldn't he be around the lodge? Before your thoughts can get too much into a mental horror show of possibilities, he's back and he drops a bag into your hands. "IS THIS ENOUGH?" He asks worriedly. You open the bag to see a bunch of gold coins, instead of a still beating human heart. Seems like he didn't get the memo that gold was not worth as much as they used to. "MY BROTHER TOOK OUR MONEY MONEY TO GO SHOPPING. GROCERY STORES ONLY ACCEPT CASH." This Papyrus explains apologetically. Which reminds you.

"It's not a problem, you don't need to pay me. I'm not your Landlady either. What shall I call you though? Everyone has a name to differentiate themselves."

He seems surprised for a second, and contemplative, before saying, "BRAVEHEART."

Braveheart huh? Was he making a reference to the movie or something else?

"AND YOU CAN CALL MY BROTHER ACE!"

Unless that was an obscure reference that you did not know, Ace was not a movie reference to Braveheart.

So far, there had been something that set each universe wildly apart. If you lined Braveheart and Papyrus up side by side, they would look identical. Except for their clothes. Turns out the Monsters in your woods were weirder than you thought. You count yourself lucky you haven't run into a brother that had wanted to hurt you. Maybe you'll learn how Braveheart's timeline differs later. For now, you had to get back to the lodge.

"Thanks Pa-Braveheart for the gold, but it's not needed." You hand the bag back. "And as much as I would love to stay and chat, I have to get back before the others go knocking down Blackberry's door for kidnapping." That isn't even an exaggeration. "But I would love to swing by later, maybe get to know you and your brother?" Braveheart seems happy at that, beaming at you, his formalness dropping away.

"THAT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED HU-Y/N! OH! YOU WILL NEED MY NUMBER!"

You hand Braveheart your phone, and he quickly types his number in, handing it back. He simply put himself down as Braveheart, and you make a note to change it to something more appropriate (silly) later.

"NOW, WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE COMING OVER FOR SOME TEA, JUST LET ME KNOW SO THAT MY BROTHER AND I MAY GET EVERYTHING READY!"

He points up the hill he had come tumbling down. "OUR HOUSE IS UP PAST THAT CREST! COME BY THIS WAY, AND I WILL TRY AND WAVE TO YOU!" You notice that there is no path leading up the hill to their house. "ACE IS USUALLY THE ONE GARDENING, AND HE MOSTLY STAYS TO HIMSELF, SO HE PROBABLY WILL NOT WAVE IF YOU HAPPEN TO WALK BY."

You don't think you would see him even if he did. You can't see their house at all.

"That's alright. I'll be sure to text you and let you know when I can come over."

"HOPEFULLY SOON!"

His eager face is too much, and you agree. "Yes, hopefully soon." You wanted to get to know all of the skeletons in the woods. The ones that wouldn't kill you. While Braveheart seems to be holding back from you, he seems to genuinely like you, and you find that you like him, and want to get to know him better. Must be a Papyrus thing.

You say your goodbyes, and Braveheart waves to you all the way down the road, until you're out of sight. Maybe even after then. When you get close to the lodge, you get a chime from your phone. It's Braveheart.

'WHAT TYPE OF TEA DO YOU LIKE?'

He probably got your number when he put his in. You type your answer, and put your phone away, thinking about when you might be able to see him again, and head into your house.

\-----------

He runs back home as soon as she's out of sight, excited at the prospect of a new friend. And she lives nearby too! She's practically his neighbor!

Heedless of the gardening he still has to do, he rushes inside, caught up in a cleaning frenzy. Who knew when she might want to hang out. She could text at any moment, he has to be prepared. Papyrus, Braveheart to others, comes to a stop. He got so excited about Y/N possibly coming over, he momentarily forgot his plight. He didn't deserve to be this excited about something, he should be trying at all costs to be getting back.

No, he can't keep thinking like this. Bravery wouldn't want him too. She would be helping him set up, just as excited as he was because he was excited. She would be encouraging him to do what made him happy. Not-his-brother-Sans and the others might find him unnerving, but he can help. He'll offer his services, and if they accept, then he'll do everything he can to help. Maybe he'll see more of Y/N too!

And if they do not, then at least he'll have offered. What did Sans say this morning? 'you have to move out of your comfort zone' or something. And the Landlady can still come over sometimes.

He cleans until his-Sans, Ace, comes home, carrying a bag of groceries.

"bro, i'm home."

Braveheart beams and says excitedly as Ace puts the groceries away, "SANS, I MADE A NEW FRIEND TODAY! AND I INVITED HER OVER FOR TEA SOME TIME!"

"that's cool paps. did you ask what type of tea she liked so that we could get some?"

Braveheart freezes comically, quickly morphing to sadness. "I DID NOT! I AM A TERRIBLE HOST AND NEW FRIEND!"

"no need to get upset, just ask her next time you see her then." Ace offers. Braveheart immediately cheers up. "YOU ARE RIGHT! IN FACT, I WILL TEXT HER RIGHT NOW!"

Braveheart whips out his phone and thinks of the perfect way to ask her for her tea. His new friend replies quickly after he asks, so Ace puts the beverage on their shopping list. Afterwards, he and Ace go about their day, Braveheart filled with a renewed sense of purpose.


	2. NOT A REAL CHAPTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will delete this as soon as I am unable to post the real second chapter.

Hello. As some of you may have noticed, I have deleted the second chapter. Never let it be said that I am not an author of my words. (Except about promises about updates) The owner of Q, the A.I. in the Skeleton Squatters and the Landlady asked me to take it down since she wants to develop Q more before letting people write with him. It's perfectly understandable, and I explicitly stated I would take this chapter down if she had any issues with it. As it is, Q is as much a part of the skelelodge universe as any of the other characters, and I kind of already written the next few chapters, with him playing a role only a computer can fill. Unless I rewrite the chapters, which I don't really feel like doing unless I have to, I'm just going to wait until the owner of Q gives me permission to put it back up.

Again, I cannot _stress_ this enough, I _offered_ to take down the chapters if she found any issues with me posting it.

 

I would like to thank jamroll for the lovely comment that they had made, it made me smile. I felt sorry to have to delete it.

 

And that's about all I can think to say. Until I either rewrite the next few chapters, or I'm given permission, I'm putting this on hold.

 

Thank you for all your kind comments, and I hope you enjoy what else I have to offer! ^^


	3. Tea Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lady visits with Braveheart and Ace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to just go ahead straight to their interaction. No Q, as per the creator's request. He's just mentioned as per previous interactions in TyrantTortoise's story and the author's own story, not an active participant.

You have had a busy week. Sometimes, keeping up with your roommates could be a bit much, and you needed some time to unwind. Unfortunately, the lodge was a not very good place to just relax. One or more of the skeletons would demand your attention, and you just couldn't say no. You remembered that you promised Braveheart that you would have tea with him some time. He had seemed, while high energy, very controlled. So you texted him, and voilà, you had a time set to come over, while he gets the beverages and his brother ready.

You didn't know how to tell your skeletal roommates about meeting another version of the brothers in the woods on your way back from the SwapFell household. And how one of them had invited you over for tea. Honestly, you half expected them to freak out, considering how each time you met another timeline version of Sans and Papyrus, the lodge skeletons didn't want you interacting with them. In their minds, for a good reason. Even if it was actually completely ridiculous.

You were a grown woman for Pete's sake. You knew how to take care of yourself. And you've been plenty safe with the so-called 'dangerous' skeletons. Braveheart seemed like a sweetheart to you. And despite having not met Ace, you doubt he'll do what Axe did. Though their names are awfully similar.

Nah, it's just a coincidence.

Or is it?

Anyways, you don't know the deal with most of the skeletons living in your woods, but that's not your fault. Well, it was a little, Q did offer to tell you, warning you that you wouldn't like it. Besides, it would ease everyone's minds if you let them know where you were going. Even if you brought your phone with you, and were only gone for the afternoon, they'll stalk you. They might even if you do tell them, and you hope asking nicely will make them stop. With your luck, they'll think it's a date or something.

…

It isn't a date, right?

You quickly shake these thoughts from your head. You're being ridiculous, and paranoid. It isn't a date. Braveheart just wants a friend. You can understand, given how most of the skeletons don't seem to get very many visitors. Crooks had the benefit of looking distinct enough from Papyrus no one would think they're the same person. But Papyrus and Braveheart could be twins. You can see Sans, especially after what you learned with Q, prohibiting him, and possibly his brother, from leaving. And too many skeletons wandering around meant it would be more likely that their cover is blown. You don't like thinking Sans would force them to stay in the woods, but you know he has to protect his family, and all of their existence. You just have to convince him to be more lenient.

A crash from downstairs draws your attention, just as you finish putting on some comfortable clothes for your walk. You specifically made sure that these were no fancier than what you wore around the house, except maybe a little bit, in that they weren't pjs. You snatch your phone by your bed, already fully charged.

Heading downstairs, the smell of burning… something, urges your self preservation instincts to scream at you to turn around and head back upstairs. So, Edge, or Blueberry, or Papyrus are cooking. Getting to the bottom of the steps, you realize a combination of all three are correct. Edge and Blueberry appear to be engaged in a furious cook-off, while Papyrus acts as mediator. Wait, no, never mind, he's cooking as well, moving around them.

Stretch and Red are lounging on the couch, a bowl of popcorn between them, while Sans takes up a chair, kind of curled up like a cat. It's cute.

They're watching some mindless daytime television, and don't appear to notice you until Edge shouts, startling you, "AH, Y/N! HAS THE SMELL OF MY COOKING ENTICED YOU DOWN FOR A BIT?" At this rate, Edge will scare you into being a skeleton like them, if you keep trying to jump out of your skin like that.

"NO, IT WAS PROBABLY MY COOKING THAT SHE WAS SMELLING!"

"NO YOU OVERGROWN FRUIT! IT WAS OBVIOUSLY MINE THAT SHE SMELLED!"

"I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU BOTH," Papyrus says, earning both of their full attention. "IT WAS CLEARLY MY MASTERFUL CULINARY SKILLS THAT SHE SMELLED!"

Thankfully, before they can launch into a shouting argument (honestly, when are they ever not shouting?) Stretch drawls, "goin' somewhere darling?"

That shuts all three of them up, and draws their full attention.

"YES, Y/N, NOW THAT STRETCH MENTIONS IT, YOU DO LOOK… DRESSED UP. ARE YOU GOING OUT ON ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR 'NOT-DATES'?" Papyrus asks. Not again. You sigh, though it was your fault you never really went out or bothered to put on anything other than pjs. You really need to start wearing normal clothes around the house. You might be a teensy bit dressed up, but that extends to wearing a nice t-shirt. It's not your fault that it's comfy to wear pjs around the lodge.

"OR MAYBE YOU NEED TO RUN AN ERRAND? IF THAT IS THE CASE, YOU SHOULD BRING ME ALONG TO HELP YOU CARRY YOUR ITEMS WITH MY IMMENSE STRENGTH!" Blue suggests hopefully.

"Sorry guys, I'm just going out for some tea." You say apologetically, shooting Blue down. He looks a little saddened that he can't help you, and you mentally promise to make it up to him later. Though he also seems uplifted that you weren't going on a date, despite you saying that the date between the two of you didn't prevent you from going on other dates.

"may we ask with whom?" Red says surprisingly evenly, and looking at him you see that he's forcing a casual expression on his face, betrayed by the slight tension in his body. You appreciate Red's efforts to be less jealous, and to not jump to conclusions. "or is it by yourself sweetheart?"

"Sure. I'm pretty sure you guys know them already actually. They're some skeletons I met in the woods on the way back from Blackberry's one day. Well, I only met one of the brothers, but he invited me over for some tea." You can't help but think of the brother you met as the Papyrus one, since he was so Papyrus like. And he had called himself the Great Papyrus.

"REALLY?" Papyrus says curiously.

"and what are their names kiddo?" Sans asks, thinking of who you could have possibly run into on the trail back.

"Oh, he said to call them Braveheart and Ace."

You miss the way all three of the skeletons around the tv tense up, distracted by Edge's guffaws.

"THAT FOOL NYEHEHEHE ACTUALLY NYEHEHE TOOK THE NAME I NYEHEHEHEHE SUGGESTED?!" The whole thing is immensely amusing to Edge for some reason, so much so that he's gripping the counter to stop from doubling over.

Papyrus voices the confusion both you and he feel. "WHY IS THAT SO FUNNY EDGE?"

Edge manages to calm down enough to merely chuckle as he says, "THE FOOL PINES AFTER _HER_ SO MUCH, I SUGGESTED HE JUST CALL HIMSELF 'BRAVEHEART'!" Edge breaks out into laughs again the cleverness of his own wit.

"EDGE, THAT ISN'T VERY NICE." Blue scolds, and you have to agree with him. It seems Edge only suggested that name out of malice. You did wonder who the 'her' was though.

Your phone chimes, and you look down to see that you got another text from Braveheart, but before you can check it out, Blue asks with the same casualness Red had tried to exude, though less successfully, "WHO IS THAT?"

"Braveheart." You reply, opening the text. On the screen is the text from Braveheart informing you of the progress of the tea. From behind you Stretch asks quizzically, "brave 'heart'?" Causing you to blush in embarrassment. For you had changed the heart in Braveheart to an emoji of a heart.

"Yes! I thought it was too good of a wordplay to pass up." Several of the skeletons look confused as they try to decipher what exactly was word play, before understanding dawns. They're relieved by the fact he's already interested in someone else, or else they would be more worried about the cutesy screen name Y/N assigned to him.

Red is the voice of reason, surprisingly enough. "well, sweetheart is her own person. she probably wants to just enjoy some tea with them, so we should all just let her be."

Huh. That's exactly what you've been thinking. You're pleased that at least someone understands that you can make your own choices, and you don't need protecting. Despite the fact on your date with Blue, he had also 'stalked' you two, still claiming they were all there by accident.

"That brings me to another thing. No. Stalking." All of the skeletons are suddenly very interested in not meeting your eyes, looking around the room. "I mean it guys, I can handle myself. Besides, it's definitely NOT a date. I'll be drinking tea with the two of them. And if I find that you followed me, I'll-" you cut off, knowing you don't really have anything you can threaten them with.

"YOU'LL WHAT, Y/N?" Edge asks mock sweetly, knowing you don't have anything.

"boss, just give y/n what she's asking for. maybe you won't end throwing food again."

Huh, Red is sticking up for you… to Edge. That was actually quite sweet, and you're reminded of the kiss, and Red's actions. He is really trying to prove himself to you. Even if it's at the risk of his own life. You got the impression he always bowed down to Edge. Maybe if he asked you o- Nope. You don't need to worry about that now.

There's a tense moment as Edge stares down Red's gaze, sweat beading down Red's forehead, trying to impose his domination, then Edge growls, and throws his arms up in the air in frustration. "FINE! WE WILL NOT FOLLOW Y/N." He says forcefully, looking around at everyone else, as if daring anyone to say something. Red is sweating buckets even before Edge drops his gaze. General murmurs of fearful agreement sound up, even Blue not challenging him.

You're thankful you don't have to worry about skeletal hanger ons while you hangout with Braveheart and his brother, and thankful that Red would put his neck on the line for you against his brother. Usually, Red bowed down to Edge.

"Ok, I'll be off then." You say, heading out the door, various goodbyes at your back. The sun is shining and birds are singing. Days like these, you're actually happy to be outside. With a smile on your face and a spring in your step, you walk down the trail to Blackberry's house, unaware of the atmosphere you left behind in the lodge.

* * *

 

You're not ashamed to admit, you almost got lost on your way there, forgetting where exactly Braveheart had tumbled down the hill to meet you. Thankfully, he set up a sentry there, just like he promised, as you found out when a deep, familiar voice calls out, "hey! are you y/n?"

Looking around, you see a skeleton where you could have sworn there was none there before. It's like he stepped out of a tree or something. Or the sun was playing tricks on your eyes.

Based on the fact he knew your name, he must be Braveheart's brother. Or a random skeleton who learned your name and is trying to lure you out into the woods. Dammit! You told yourself you would stop that. Your roommates were rubbing off on you with their over cautiousness. "Yep! That's me! And are you Braveheart's brother?"

From the distance, you can't tell, but it looks like his smile becomes a little forced, before he says, "yep. i'm ace. here, let me help you up."

He's next to you, and you know for sure that that wasn't the sun playing tricks on you. "when you don't have my brother's long legs, getting up the hill can be quite the challenge. especially since we're a little off the beaten path. also, i usually wouldn't do this, but… braveheart is a bit anxious for you to join us for some tea. i know a short cut up." This time, with him right next to you, you can see that his smile becomes strained when saying his brother's code name. Just like Axe, you can't help but think.

Ace holds out a gloved hand, and his grin becomes more genuine, and slightly goofy. "m'lady." He even does a little mock bow, which you can't help but reciprocate with a little curtsy. "My good sir." You don't even get think about the oddity of him wearing gloves with a tank top and shorts, since you take his hand and he walks you forward a step, and suddenly you're at the top of the hill.

"Woah!" You look back down to the bottom of the hill, where you and Ace had both just been a second and a couple of steps ago, and back to Ace, who gives you a cheeky wink.

"i told you i knew a short cut."

Seeming satisfied with leaving you on that clever quip, he turns to walk away, but trips, falling flat on his face.

There's some muffled cursing as you help him up. "'m fine." Ace mutters, cheekbones dusted blue in embarrassment. "no cracked skulls or anything."

He knocks on his skull, providing a thudding sound. "my bro always says i have a thick skull. no need to patella him about this slip up."

You almost missed the pun, Ace said the sentence so seriously. When you do, you giggle, covering your mouth at the unexpectness of it. He grins good naturedly at you, and victoriously, and quickly ties his shoes, which had been the cause of his tripping. Standing up, he extends a hand to you, which you graciously accept, wiping the leaves off your clothes.

"seriously though, please don't tell him i used a short cut. he accuses me of slacking off, and he can get quite sternum."

Oddly enough, the deadpan way Ace delivers his puns adds the humor, only breaking he composure when he looks pleased to get another laugh out of you.

"BROTHER! IS THAT YOU WITH Y/N? I HEARD FEMININE LAUGHS!"

"yeah, coming bro!" Ace calls back, and holds his elbow out to you, affecting the overly formal tone he used earlier, "shall we, m'lady?"

You link your arm through his, not helping your own grin. "Yes we shall."

It's not far, as you can see soon enough, revealing a single story house with railings on the roof and a telescope. A path starts shortly, circling around the house, and going through a patch of overgrown weeds. It's through the weeds that Ace leads you, and you no sooner reach the door than it's flung wide open, revealing Braveheart.

"Y/N!" Braveheart exclaims joyfully, sweeping you up in a hug. Pressed as you were into his sweater, you note he smells like cinnamon and ginger. You awkwardly hug him back, seeing as your feet dangled off the floor.

"bro, let the lady breathe." Ace admonishes lightly, and you're abruptly put back on your feet.

"AH! I AM SO SO SORRY Y/N! I JUST GOT EXCITED TO SEE YOU!" You see that his sweater is one with two pumpkins over where the… pectoral muscles would be, with two skeleton hands cupping them. You would expect Stretch to wear something like that, not Braveheart, though you don't know him well enough to say for certain. But that was the point of this excursion.

"It's alright Braveheart. I could breathe." You assure him. It was a nice hug, if not a little unexpected.

Braveheart seems relieved at your reassurance, then perks up. "ALSO! YOU ARE RIGHT ON TIME! THE FOOD AND DRINKS ARE READY!" He rushes back inside, Ace catching the door before it closes, letting you go in first. "after you, m'lady."

The door opens up to both a dining area and the kitchen as in they're not two separate rooms but one. The table is round, and there are two chairs that look the same and one that looks like it came from a different set, making you realize they must have gotten a chair specially for you. Braveheart is at the stove taking off a whistling kettle. The whole thing is honestly quite cozy.

Braveheart deftly puts out three mugs while Ace pulls out a chair for you, again doing a small bow. He's really playing the whole Lady thing up. Still, it makes you feel a little special to be doted on.

You take a seat and Braveheart puts a mug in front of you, filled with your favorite beverage.

Taking a sip, you feel yourself fill with warmth and comfort, so much so you don't notice the plate placed on the table, until you open your eyes, which you also didn't notice you closed. It's a plate of what smells like gingerbread, though instead of looking like men, they're shaped like various Halloween associated symbols. Including a gingerbread decorated like a skeleton.

"TIS THE SEASON AND ALL THAT. OH WAIT, NO, THAT'S GYFTMAS." That must have been where the gingerbread smell on Braveheart had come from. You subtly inspect them. Surprisingly, they don't look burnt. Or mangled in any other way.

"don't worry, there's nothing in there that shouldn't be." Ok, so you may have been not as subtle as you thought.

"YES! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WAS TAUGHT TO BAKE AND COOK BY KINDNESS! I ALSO KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW THE RECIPE. THOUGH I CAN NOT CLAIM ALL THE CREDIT! SAN-ACE CUT OUT THE SHAPES AND PUT ON THE FROSTING." At his self check on his brother's name, Braveheart seems to turn off a little. And was Kindness supposed to be a name or a thing?

You decide it (probably) won't hurt to try one, so you do, aware of two sets of eyes on you. You're so prepared for it to potentially poison you, you can't appreciate the flavor until you relax after the first bite, then it hits you. It's not the best thing you ever tasted, but it's above average, and it speaks of someone who puts time and effort and love into something they care about.

"SO, HOW IS IT?" Braveheart asks anxiously, Ace also waiting for your verdict.

"It's very good Braveheart! Thanks!"

He practically glows, that's how bright his smile is. Papyrus's really were sensitive about their cooking.

"THANK YOU Y/N! PERHAPS ONE DAY I WILL BE AS GOOD AS KINDNESS!" Ace nods in agreement, dunking a gingerbread bat ito his own mug.

"I'm sure you will. But, um, who's Kindess?" You were pretty sure at this point Kindess was a who, not a what. You were proven right with Braveheart's next words.

"THEY WERE A HUMAN WHO FELL INTO THE UNDERGROUND! WELL, AT ATLEAST OUR UNDERGROUND…" he drifts off, seeming uncomfortable about something. Ace pushes on before you can ask about it.

"they're a good human. they usually stay in hotland, since it can be a bit difficult to traverse the underground, but sometimes they would stay in snowden."

"AND WHEN HE DID, HE WOULD GIVE ME COOKING LESSONS! I HAVE REALLY IMPROVED SINCE HE STARTED TEACHING ME!" You did notice that there were no scorch marks or food stains on the ceiling from Braveheart's cooking.

"i always thought your cooking was fine bro." Ace says earnestly.

Braveheart brushes it off. "OF COURSE YOU WOULD SAY THAT! YOU ARE MY BROTHER!"

"well what about…" Ace cuts himself off abruptly, his expression becoming strained. He looks over at you, curiously enough. Braveheart looks a little saddened for a moment.

"I'm sure your cooking was great." You gently lie, trying to change the subject from whatever uncomfortable topic the two are trying to avoid.

Braveheart snorts. "IT WAS TERRIBLE!" He smiles fondly. "ONLY MY BROTHER… AND BRAVERY WOULD EAT IT. AND HALF THE TOWN WAS CONVINCED SHE HAD NO TASTE BUDS. SHE ATE EVERYTHING I MADE." It clicks. Bravery must be the 'her' your lodge mates were talking about. The fond way Braveheart spoke about her, Bravery must be the one. And it explains the name. Your own heart goes out to him a little. It's clear he cares about her, and misses her.

He quickly shakes it off. "I THINK SHE WOULD HAVE LIKED YOU Y/N!" Braveheart says decidedly, moving on.

"SO, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?"

Revealing you like video games, Braveheart had eagerly asked about all the ones you had, wowing him. The only games he had played were for an old Nintendo, so Mario for him was still just 8-bit pixels. You were determined to expand his gaming knowledge ad experience, and he seemed eager to learn. Ace busted out some board games while you guys talked, and despite Ace's blatant cheating at Candy Land, making up imaginary rules that established Braveheart as monarch, overthrowing the previous Candy King, it was quite chill as you guys laughed and talked. 

You avoid bringing up anything that might be a sensitive topic, answering any questions they had. Well, mostly questions from Braveheart. Ace seemed content just drinking his mug and listening when it was not his turn. You were never going to see Candy Land the same way again. Though, despite the few hiccups earlier in the conversation, they seemed open to talk about anything. Sometimes Braveheart revealed stuff about his Underground, such as the fact multiple humans lived there. From what you had learned of the others, and some of the skeletons's fervor for capturing humans, this seemed out of the ordinary, though you did not push.

At some point, Braveheart asked if you would like to stay for dinner, which you gladly accepted, so he got started on that while you sat with Ace.

Due to the openness of the layout, Braveheart was still able to converse with you, though he was mostly focused on making dinner. You got to study Ace more. His tank top revealed some of his clavicle and sternum, which you weren't sure was appropriate or not. You knew ribs were not, as well as the pelvis, which Ace had all covered. Ace catches you looking at him, and gives you a teasing smile. "like what you see, m'lady? i can do a twirl if you want." He turns what would have been an embarrassing placing-you-on-the-spot moment for you if he hadn't turned it into an opportunity for a laugh, which you do, him joining.

"If you would." You reply.

Ace gracefully gets up, and twirls, as if he were a ballerina. He ends up tripping again, his shoes somehow having come untied again, knocking him into Braveheart, who barely flinches, easily catching him.

"BROTHER! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

"bro, i think this is a sign." Ace says instead of answering.

"A SIGN OF WHAT?" Braveheart asks, his confusion matching yours.

Ace winks at you. "i think it's telling me to fall for m'lady."

Braveheart promptly drops him, as Ace laughs, joining yours. He has such an 'I'm-done-face', you laugh harder.

"I'M DONE. I AM DONE WITH THE BOTH OF YOU. NEVER, EVER, HAVE I FELT SUCH DISSAPOINTMENT." He's saying it with a straight face, but you can't help but feel he's being over dramatic. It's also hard to take him seriously when he's wearing a frilly apron that says, 'BAKER IN WAITING'. He turns back to the stove. "I'M DONE."

"nooooo. brooooo. please forgive meeeeee." Ace pleads, gripping Braveheart's leg, his contriteness broken by his laughter.

"NO. GO FIND A NEW 'BRO' TO PUNISH. YOUR SINS SHALL NOT BE FORGIVEN." Braveheart was just as bad as Ace! It was becoming quickly obvious to you that neither one of them meant it. He acted just like Papyrus did when he's displeased with Sans's, but something gave away that this was just some brotherly teasing.

"please bro. you know you love me."

Braveheart sighs. "UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS TRUE. NOW GET UP, YOU'RE MAKING A FOOL OF YOURSELF IN FRONT OF OUR GUEST! DINNER IS ALMOST READY."

With a grin, Ace pops back up to his feat. "eye eye captain." He bows deeply to you. "please forgive me, m'lady."

Your face hurting from how widely you're grinning at their theatrical performance, you say, "Of course!" And Ace takes a seat again. Looking at Ace, he seems younger than he had before, a care free grin on his face. The way he sit's in the chair, he's obviously relaxed, but at attention, as if always engaged with what was going on around him.

"DINNER IS READY!"

As if that's his cue, Ace gets up and with the ease that speaks of routine, helps set up, placing silverware and napkins on the table. Braveheart places a steaming pot and three bowls on the table, filling them, leaving the pot out. Like the cookies, Braveheart and Ace wait to eat for you to take the first bite. Unlike the cookie, you don't feel the need to brace yourself for the taste. The spaghetti tastes like it's not likely to poison you. Seeing you enjoy your meal, Ace and Braveheart start eating too. Given how quickly dinner had been prepared, you're pretty sure they had been hoping you would stay for dinner.

"What do you guys do for fun? Since you've came to the Surface, I mean. Besides board games."

Braveheart jumps to answer your question. Literally, he lifts off the seat a little. "OH! WELL! ACE AND I MOSTLY JUST KEEP UP WITH OUR TRAINING. ACE IS GROWING A GARDEN TOO!" 

"trying to. you probably noticed it isn't much when we passed through it earlier." Ace chuckles.

What? Oh. The patch of weeds.

"i don't really have a green thumb." At that, Ace holds up his thumb… it is, oddly enough, blue. Both of them are still wearing their gloves, despite eating.

"SANS! WHY, HOW??" Braveheart looks as flabbergasted as you feel.

"magic." He does jazz hands, revealingly smiley faces on the palm of his gloves, winking at you. He winks at you, not the blue smiley faces on his gloves. You did not see him doing that. To be fair, you were mostly paying attention to Braveheart throughout the evening.

"UGH, SANS! I WILL HAVE TO WASH THOSE!"

"sorry bro." He doesn't sound that sorry.

Neither of them seems to have noticed Braveheart's slip up, Braveheart too busy being exasperated with his brother, and Ace enjoying getting a rise out of his bro. You weren't going to clue them in, since they noticeably get tense when reminded of their nicknames, just laughing at their antics.

Though they quickly remember themselves, the rest of the evening is still pleasant, though you play no more games, just finish up the one you already had started (Braveheart gives you a part of the Peppermint Forests to rule as a Duchess, which is a step up from Landlady, and you all lived happily ever after). By the time you have to go home, you're already making plans to see them again, Braveheart promising to play Chutes and Ladders with you if you'll show him all the new Mario games. Braveheart even offers to walk you home.

"yeah, you might run into some monsters." Ace says teasingly before you leave, giving you the rest of the gingerbread to take home.

Despite Ave's warning, you see no other skeleton, not even Crooks. Braveheart helps you down the hill, then walks by your side, content to be quiet. You, on the other hand, are burning up with a question that hasn't been answered yet.

"Hey Braveheart?"

"YES?" He looks down at you inquisitively, never faltering a step.

"May I ask why you're wearing… that sweater? I wouldn't peg you for the type to wear something like that."

He makes a face, looking down at the offending sweater in question. "WHILE YES, THIS TYPE OF ATTIRE WOULD BE MORE MY BROTHER'S THING, MORE TO GET A RISE OUT OF ME THAN ANYTHING ELSE OR A GENUINE LIKE FOR THIS ARTICLE OF CLOTHING, IT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT… DID NOT IRRITATE ME WHEN I WORE IT." He keeps his gaze straight ahead, his expression unreadable in the dark.

"Irritate you?"

"UM, YES. CERTAIN SENSATIONS CAN FEEL QUITE PAINFUL FOR ME. THIS SWEATER DID NOT. I WOULD HAVE WORN SOMETHING MORE APPROPRIATE OTHERWISE-"

"It's ok Papyrus. It's perfect." Braveheart comes to a stop, you with him. He looks like he's going to cry for a moment, then beams at you.

"YOU ARE A VERY NICE HUMAN. AND WE ARE HERE!"

Looking, you see that he is right, the lodge is just past those trees, the light shining in the windows. He doesn't make a move to get closer, so you say your goodbyes, and walk to the house. Maybe you should ask Sans about the other skeletons in the woods. You're sure you would like to get to know them.

* * *

 

Braveheart waits until you're safely in the house, then takes a short cut back to the house with his brother.

"hey bro." Ace greets from the table, still nursing his drink of hot milk.

"HELLO BROTHER." Braveheart responds thoughtfully, thinking over Y/N. She was funny, she was kind, and she was wonderful. And she didn't even realize how much all of the skeletons she met adored her.

"BROTHER, YOU WERE ACTING QUITE… RAMBUCTIOUS EARLIER. YOU NEVER ACT THAT WAY IN FRONT OF STRANGERS."

Ace shrugs sheepishly. "what can i say. i am a good judge of character and she's a good person. i just like her." That settles it-oh no, Ace is grinning. "besides, she thought my puns were very humerus!"

Braveheart groans, gripping his head. "OH MY STARS. YOUR PUNS ARE THE WORST! PUT A LITTLE MORE BACKBONE INTO IT."

"eye, eye, captain." Ace says, saluting.

Braveheart sighs loudly. "JUST HELP ME CLEAN UP, OK?"

"alright papyrus." Ace gets up and helps out, the both of them happy with how that afternoon had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sometimes I forget how things are rated on here, and I won't read the tags, and I'll see something that has an E in the top left corner, and a voice in my head will go, 'Rated E for everyone!'
> 
> Then I'll read it.
> 
> And I'll throw my device away from me because E is NOT for everyone!
> 
> My eyes.
> 
> I was not prepared.
> 
> Stupid brain.


	4. No Need To Feel So Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace finds a new sparring partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post some ficlets about the interactions with Ace and Braveheart and the rest of the skeletons. Lady can't be their only friend.
> 
> Fun fact! I actually started writing this before the previous chapter, since I wasn't sure how I was going to work out Q. But then I did, so I'm posting this now.

Ace couldn't believe that he was going to die.

 

 

 

 

 

Of boredom.

He never thought he would see the day that he would miss the routine of the Underground. Sure, they were all trapped and were probably never going to see the Surface, but at least they were living. Now, Ace was on the Surface, but he felt more trapped than he ever did in the Underground.

None of the duplicates were allowed to go out and about without permission. Especially those not living in the lodge. The lodgers all got to do as they pleased. Or those the Lady had pulled into the inner circle. Relatively. Everyone else had to do it on the down low. Acting was one thing but Ace was never much of a liar, and Sans had made him promise to stay out of trouble. Promises were promises. And though Ace always had a way of bending the rules, he didn't want to bend this one. He got the impression that it wouldn't take much bending to get Sans to snap. None at all, in fact. Sans might find a way to prevent Lady from hanging out with Braveheart. And Ace couldn't do that to his bro. ~~(He ignores the thought that Sans might just dispose of them. It's ridiculous.)~~

His bro was actually out with Y/N right now, doing stuff or whatever. She was fun, but Ace didn't want to impede on his bro's quality friend time, so he had stayed home. He was really regretting that decision now.

Sans never said anything about moving around the woods.

So, with nothing left to do, he went for a walk. Of course, he could try again to make his small garden grow, but he has long since accepted he doesn't have a green thumb. It's mostly just busy work. He also couldn't bear to be in the cabin that had become their home, and not even working in the garden would help him work off his energy. It was too late in the year to do so and expect any sort of fruition anyways.

The trail he took was one less travelled, like one in one of the poems he had read about. The human Internet was truly a wonder. Maybe he could go buy a computer, so he wouldn't have to fight Braveheart over use of the phone. Ace always lost when Y/N was texting. That took priority. He's so lost in thought, that Ace didn't realize he had wandered near the lodge. He stops short, and looks at it from a distance.

It's a nice place, a little big. He can see that several of the vehicles are gone, indicating their owners are not at the lodge. And in the yard is Blue.

Both Ace and Braveheart like Blue. Blue's a pretty cool dude. And the one of the more welcoming skeletons, besides Papyrus and Crooks. And a personal favorite of his. From Y/N Ace had learned of the date Blueberry had brought her on, and he was kind of rooting for him. Tied with several others. Braveheart and he still weren't decided yet who their personal favorite was yet. As Ace eyes Blue, he gets an idea. He's got a lot of restless energy to work off, and Blue is always full of energy.

Without a fully concrete plan formed, he walks into the yard, and into Blue's line of sight.

Blueberry immediately sees him, and he waves cheerfully.

"HELLO ACE!"

"hey blue." Ace replies, briefly wondering when did he get so used to his nickname. It doesn't really matter. He's just glad he's not forced to be around Sans all the time. He doesn't know if he can handle calling Sans, Sans, while Sans calls him Ace.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING ALL THE WAY OUT HERE?" Blue, and probably the rest, know Ace doesn't come to the lodge often, or unaccompanied by Braveheart. Except Blue and probably the others knew that she was put with Braveheart at the moment. 

No point in dancing around the subject, and it's better to squash the worry flickering in Blue's eye sockets. "'m bored. do you want to spar?"

Ace notes that Blue looks slightly taken aback at his proposition, probably since it seems so out the _Blue_ (heh), and maybe a little suspicious, before excitement overtakes his features.

"YOU REALLY WANT TO SPAR WITH ME?"

"of course. you're super cool." Not the coolest, that was reserved for _his_ Papyrus. Blueberry preens a little at the compliment. He really did remind Ace of his bro.

"OF COURSE YOU WOULD WANT TO SPAR WITH THE GREAT AND MAGNIFICENT BLUE!" Yep, very much like his bro Ace muses. And he's not even lying about it.

Blue straightens, and points a bone at Ace, serious all of the sudden. "PREPARE YOURSELF! I WILL GO EASY ON YOU SINCE IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME AGAINST ME, SO YOU PROBABLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING YOURSELF INTO!"

Oh, Ace knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

He gives Blueberry a carefree smile. "if that's the case, how about you take the first move?"

Blueberry nods, and just like that, their battle begins.

Blueberry starts off with a standard bone attack, probably to gauge his reaction. It doesn't even move that fast, and Ace can tell Blueberry is really taking it easy on him. Ace dodges, then retaliates. It's the same bone attack, but slightly faster.

Instead of dodging, Blueberry leaps over the bones, not even breaking a sweat. Game on.

Each attack following becomes more and more difficult. Ace finds himself having to think fast to weave around attacks, Blueberry's stamina aiding him in his own evasion of the attacks, almost like dancing.

Ace may have decided to be more enthusiastic in learning to fight because of a burning desire to protect those he cares about, pushing his boundaries past where he was comfortable, Blueberry made it seem like it was in his blood. It wasn't a choice but an art form.

 

Still, Ace liked to think he was slightly beating Blueberry. Blue must have realized it, because his attacks became harder, without coming close to harming Ace. Blueberry had more control than that.

Ace would have done the same if two things had not happened. One, a voice shouted out, clearly distressed, "Stop! Stop fighting!" Disrupting his focus. And two, his shoelaces came untied, tripping him up as he dodged and resulting in him falling flat on his face.

Two pairs of hands help him up, well, one pair and a hand, belonging to Blueberry and Stretch, Ace sees when he looks up. Beyond them, he sees Braveheart and Lady running towards him. It clicks. Lady must have been the one to call out, mistaking their sparring for an actual fight. He wonders how long Stretch was watching. Ace had been so caught up in the activity he hadn't noticed Stretch at all, though he must have been close to help him up at the same time as Blueberry. Or Stretch took a small short cut.

When Y/N is close enough, he says, trying to act nonchalant, "m'lady, you have to stop seeing me in such compromising positions. how will i ever convince you that i am cool?"

"TRUST ME BROTHER, NO ONE EVER THOUGHT THAT." Braveheart says, failing to hide his grin.

"i sense mischief is a foot." Stretch says, letting go of Ace when he can stand steady, his other hand in his hoodie pocket. Lady giggles while Blueberry and Braveheart groan at the exact same time and inflection, making her laugh harder. Even Ace cracks a grin.

"tell me about it. this is hardly the first time this happened. i am tendon to think this is a deliberate act of sabotage."

He ignores the groans and points at Y/N. "and you, m'lady, appear to be the number one culprit. i have fallen a ton of times in your presence. a skeleton of times."

"NOW NOW BROTHER, THE SAME COULD BE SAID OF ME." Braveheart interjects, and Ace puts on a hurt face.

"my own bro, betrayed me. how could you."

Stretch chortles and even Blueberry grins. Good. Ace hadn't liked the looks on their faces before. Blueberry had seemed a bit guilty about Ace falling, even if it wasn't his fault.

It seems even with Ace laying on the charm, Y/N did not forget her earlier distress completely. "Why were you two fighting anyways?" She looks between Ace and Blueberry, disapproval plainly read on her face. For some reason this makes Ace feel a little guilty, as if he doesn't want to disappoint her. Which he doesn't, but he did nothing wrong, so there was nothing for her to disapprove.

"fighting? that wasn't fighting, that was some good ol' fashioned sparring."

"YEAH. ALPHYS USED TO TRAIN ME WAY WORSE THAN THAT! SHE WAS VERY INTENSE!"

The look on her face falters, as Lady takes in what the both of them were saying.

"and i was here to step in if things got out of hand." Stretch reassures Y/N, though the way he stresses 'out of hand' and looks at Ace, Ace knows it's also a subtle threat. Aww, Stretch is protective of Blue. Not surprising. Though a bit unnecessary. From what Ace saw, Blueberry can handle himself.

"YES Y/N. SPARRING IS A COMMON THING AMONG MONSTERS! IT IS FUN, AND USUALLY QUITE SAFE." Braveheart adds, and Lady finally looks convinced. With Y/N placated, Ace finally notices some stuff stuck in her hair. And Braveheart has some stuff on his skull that he'll obsessively clean off later, but for now seems to have not have noticed.

"looks like you two had fun." Stretch says, beating Ace to the punch, pulling out some of the things out of Y/N's hair, his touch gentle. Hmm. Ace mentally adds Stretch to the 'investigate further' list. Guess he wasn't the only one who 'fell' for his m'lady. Even if he was the only one who seemed to have taken it literally.

"Yeah, we did." She and Braveheart share a smile like at an inside joke, indicating that that answer means something more.

Stretch just grins. "that's good to hear."

Ace turns to Blueberry. "thanks for being such a great sport and partner. we should hang out some time." He had encouraged his bro to try and make some friends, maybe he should take his own advice.

Blueberry hesitates for barely a moment, before nodding with his characteristic enthusiasm, and saying, "OF COURSE! IT IS ONLY NATURAL THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO HANG OUT WITH ME!"

Ace nods in acquiescion, "of course."

He says goodbye to Blueberry And Stretch, and his m'lady. Y/N and his bro say their goodbyes, and they head off.

It's getting dark, dusk light filtering through the tree leaves. The day is fading, and as the day creatures go to sleep, the night creatures start to wake up. They walk in silence, until Ace asks, "so, was your super duper friendship outing as fun as you planned?"

"YOU MAKE IT SOUND RIDICULOUS."

"no, i would never. and you didn't answer."

"HMMM. IT DIDN'T GO EXACTLY AS PLANNED, BUT THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT ANY LESS FUN."

"of course bro, any time spent with you is super fun. did she like the gift?"

"YES, I THINK SO." 

"good."

"HOW WAS YOUR SPARRING WITH BLUE?"

"he's very good with his footwork. maybe he should take m'lady dancing or something. i bet if he wore a fancy suit or something she would like that."

Braveheart lets out a small snort of laughter, instead of his usual NYEHs. "YOU DO CLEAN UP NICELY BROTHER."

"heh, nice. that was both a compliment and a comment on my grooming habits."

"WELL BLUEBERRY DOES NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. HE IS A SKELETON WHO TAKES VERY GOOD CARE OF HIMSELF."

"pfft, and you would know this how?"

"BECAUSE HE MAY LOOK LIKE YOU BUT HE IS MORE LIKE ME! A RESPECTABLE SKELETON!"

"i am wounded."

"YOU ALWAYS ARE. YOU NEED TO STOP LETTING MY COMMENTS GET UNDER YOUR SKIN BROTHER."

They reach the house, and Braveheart makes dinner. After dinner, Ace stops Braveheart before he heads to bed.

"how about, instead of me reading you a bed time story, you come look at the stars with me?"

He waits with bated breathe, until Braveheart says, "THAT SOUNDS PLEASANT."

That night, they spend time together looking out amongst the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe next chapter can be about what Lady and Braveheart had been out doing.
> 
> I don't know why it's including the end note from the first chapter, but just ignore it. After the first chapter it doesn't apply.
> 
> Sorry if the ending is a bit bleh, I was running out of steam. I'm open to comments and things that you guys think might be fixed. Thanks ^^
> 
> Here's some pics I drew for last chapter: https://multiple-tale.tumblr.com/post/167117873994/ace-from-the-tea-time-chapter-in-my-fic-youve-got

**Author's Note:**

> Probably only going to make one chapter, unless I get some positive feedback. Unless Tyrant-Tortoise wants me to take this down, then I'm totally cool with that, and will do so as soon as I get the message.
> 
> No, Braveheart is not going to be a possible love interest. While I do ship them, it's a friendship. I just want them to be friends. Nor Ace will be a romance option. I figured Landlady needs a break from sexy skeletons trying to get with her.


End file.
